Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-27
LONDON LETTER.
TOPICS WHICH ARE INTERESTING
OUR ENGLISH COUSINS.
Tunneling the Thames-English Hol-
idays and Sightseeing nffalo
Bills Wild West Show.
[REcoRD- UNION Correspondence


vader, has ever been the idea, of not
merely poets and patriots, but of sound
practical men Of business, both civil and
military But Sir Edward Watkin wants
TO change all this; and i'll the House of
Commons on Thursday night brought for
ward his "Channel Tunnel Bill" This
project for uniting England and France by
a submarine tunnel does not seem to grow
in public favor. Our insular position has
heretofore been our safeguard, and the
idea of uniting the two coun-
tries, and so promoting friendship between
France and England, is overborne by the
natural objection to provide the foreigner
with a ready means of invading us. Sir
Wilfred Lawson, with his usual humor,
made fun of our supposed inability to pre-
vent the French army invading us through
a hole twenty feet square, and thought
" the very best place they could get an OPP
posing army would be into hole" but
neither Sir Wilfred's witticisms nor the
stock arguments of Sir Edward Watkin, on
the unity of nations, were of any avail, and
the House of Commons by majority of
htty-slX rejected the DILL
HOLIDAYS IN ENGLAND.
Perhaps the most notable event of the
week has been the bank holiday of last
Monday. 1t is just fifteen years ago since
this first Monday in August was made
legal holiday, mainly through the exer-
tons of Sir John Lubbock, the banker, in
whose honor the day is by some called
g uhhocl,c DovV onJ ,r;+I,;,, +Lo
memory of the present writer has occurred
quite revolution in the matter of public
holidays. Thirty years ago Good Friday
and Christmas Day were the only really
general holidays. 1t is true that the arti-
san class added Easter and Whitsuntide to
the list, as circumstances and means al
lowed, but the shop-keeper was still be-
hind his counter on all but Sundays and
the two days mentioned. Now all is
changed. Sir John lubbock Act has
added Easter and Whit Mondays-the day
succeeding Christmas Day-and the first
Monday in August to the original two
days. Primarily in the interests of bank
ers' clerks, as making bills of exchange and
all documents promising to pay-due the
day before-but generally in the interests
of the great public, Sir John Lubbock per-
formed benefcent act. The Stock Ex-
change has its three special holidays on
the first days of January, May and Novem-
Der, in addition to the bank holidays; and
the Government offices do honor to the
Queens birthday by closing on that day, 50
that it cannot be said that London is ex-
ceptionably badly off for holidays, though
an idea seems to prevail that we are be-
hind other capitals in this respect The
summer vacation, too, varying from one to
three weeks, has also become of late years
the rule instead OF, as quarter of cent
ury ago. the decided exception. Time was
when years of patient toll had to be I'M
dergone, and a firm position in business Sc
cured, ere the fortnight's relaxation amidst
trees and fields, or the inauguration breeze
of the sea shore, could be enjoyed; but
now how changed!
WHERE HOLIDAYS ARE SPENT.
The August bank holiday occurring at
period when, even in this treacherous eli
mate, something like settled weather can
be calculated upon, is almost universally
observed in London. Open air amuse-
ments are the rule, and despite innumera-
bic attractions elsewhere, 10000 persons
witnessed a cricket match at Remington
Oval. The railways, and especially the
southern lines, carried thousands to the
country and STANDARDIZATION Eastbourne
and Hastings being especially crowded
with visitors. The River Thames steam
boats in one direction to Greenwich and
Gravesend, and in the other to Kew and
Richmond, transported perilously heavy
burdens of human freight. Those great
centers Of attraction to which the designa-
ton Palace has been given-the CRYSTAL
Palace at Sydenham, the Alexandra Pal
ace on Muswell Hill, and the Albert Pal
ace in Battersea Park-offerei to visitors
an endless round of entertainments, while
the "Wild West Show" of Buffalo Bill at
Earls Court received the largest number of
visitors since the opening.
VISITING THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Students of Dickens will remember the
peculiar form which the Chuzzlewit hospi-
tally was manifested towards country rel
atives who came to town, who were atten-
lively shown the interior of all places of
interest open free to the public, and the
exterior Of those at which an admission fee
was charged Those DESTROYS of following
up this economical custom, with regard to
themselves, might very well spend an
agreeable bank holiday in London with
minimum of expense. The number of
places of interest open free to the public is
very considerable, and variety of tastes
may be INDUCED. The historical, CLASH
cal and antiquarian treasures enshrined in
the British Museum may be viewed with
out charge; and the gazer upon the Egyp-
tian mummy, Internationally murmurs-
And hoe loLo,
In Thebes' streets six thousand years ago
When the Memt onium was in all its glory"
may have all this emotion for nothing.
The art treasures of the South Kensington
Museum, the paintings of the old masters in
the National Gallery, the Natural History
Museum, and the National Portrait Collec-
ton are all free, and the natural beauties
of the Royal Gardens at Kew, were last
Monday enjoyed by $4,000 visitors without
Fee
BUFFALO BILLS SHOW IN TROUBLE.
The American Exhibition in London
has SO far proved great success. and John
Bull has fairly taken to it. Such wonder
full riding, and such more than wonderful
shooting has rarely, if ever, been witnessed
by the British before The only hitch
thdi HAS OSNulISu Has btcu the application
by an artist resident close by, for an in
junction to restrain the performance, on
the ground that the continual discharge
of firearms, and the war-whoop of the In
dams, create nuisance. Justice Chittv,
before whom the question has been tried,
refused to grant the injunction prayed for;
but the question of nuisance or no NUS
ance is to be fairly tried before the Courts,
and the proprietors of the exhibition have
paid el00 into Court pending the decision.
The American exhibits have created much
interest, and countless Yankee notions,
ranging from Waterbury watches to pop
corn, are for the moment popular. Some
valuable information has been dissent
mated among the visitors regarding, not
only the industries and. manufactures of
the cities and towns, but of the natural re-
sources Of the country, and intending emil
grants have received advice as to desirable
spots for settlement.
THE HoME-SEEKER IN LONDON.
An extensive circulation has been given
to pamphlet called, think, the Home
Seeker" as to the advantages possessed by
that part of California in which Sacra-
mento is situate, and which recommend